Will Stanton
William Frank Stanton (1918-1996) was a renowned author of humorous short stories, articles and novels. He was the eldest son of Chagrin Falls Mayor Frank Stanton. Will graduated from Chagrin Falls High School in 1936 where he was the editor of the Zenith and proceeded to Princeton University, graduating with a degree in English. He was a glider pilot during World War II. He returned to Chagrin after the war and performed in plays at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre.
Will’s stories and articles were published in the popular magazines of the day, including the New Yorker, Esquire, Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest and Ladies Home Journal. Several of his short stories were based on his childhood in Chagrin Falls during the Depression and were gathered into The Golden Evenings of Summer, which was turned into the Disney movie Charlie and the Angel.
Stanton was also known for his science fiction stories which were translated into several languages.